Kiran, Botcha meet Azad and Union Home Minister in Delhi

The Centre and the Congress may give some clarity about their thinking on the statehood issue by not confining themselves merely to eliciting views of the opposition parties on the contentious issue at the all-party meeting on December 28.

They will not be just passive partners listening to what other parties have to say, but try to set the road-map for the discussions. The strategy for achieving this objective was discussed by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad with Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana in New Delhi on Saturday.

Mr. Kiran Reddy met Mr. Azad in the morning and later the Union Home Minister. Along with Mr. Satyanarayana, the Chief Minister called on Mr. Azad again and rounded off his visit with a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The central leaders reportedly sought feedback on the line the party should take at the December 28 meeting. Opposition parties in the State are already clamouring that the Congress, as the party in power at the Centre, must spell out its stand on Telangana before eliciting their views. It is understood that names of the representatives that the Congress party intends to depute for the meeting were also discussed.

Mr. Kiran Reddy and Mr. Satyanarayana sought the high command’s approval to fill the nominated posts and reconstitute the PCC executive. Mr. Satyanarayana invited Mr. Azad to attend the regional convention of the Congress party in Vijayawada in January first week.

It is learnt that the Governor’s action in returning the file on the Cabinet turning down the CBI plea to prosecute Roads & Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao also figured during the Chief Minister’s meeting with Mr. Azad.

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Workers carryingout repairs to Visakhapatnam District Collector's Office, as it was damaged in Cyclone Hudhud in 2014 October. The majestic heritage building was designed and built by Dutch engineering company Gannon Dunkerly in 1865 and completed by 1914. Photos: C.V. Subrahmanyam